Author: Mara Forbes

Cities Alliance and Slum Dwellers International (SDI) , with financial support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), support youth-led climate action in informal settlements across 16 countries as part of the Building Resilience in Informal Settlements Programme.

Informal settlements are home to some of the fastest-growing populations in the world, where over one billion people reside globally. In Africa, almost 60% of the population is under 25, and more than 60% of urban populations live in informal settlements.

Despite their significant presence, young people in informal settlements face immense challenges, including limited access to essential infrastructure, health and social services, inadequate housing, and unemployment.

This youth population is pivotal in driving the shift toward a predominantly urban future. Many are migrating to cities from rural areas, searching for better opportunities. Their energy, creativity, and capacity can be harnessed to develop innovative solutions to address complex urban issues.

Youth led impact in informal settlements

Across the Slum Dwellers International (SDI) network,¹ young people  are at the forefront of of tackling pressing issues in informal settlements, including climate change adaptation, where they are leading efforts to build more resilient urban spaces.

SDI federations consciously integrate youth into every facet of their activities—from workshops and meetings to settlement profiling and community mobilisation. These initiatives provide young people with valuable skills.

Youth are increasingly taking on key roles in data collection, research, and advocacy, contributing to the broader understanding of their communities. Platforms like Know Your City TV, where youth tell the stories of their communities with passion and authenticity, allow them to make their voices heard.

Two ways SDI youth are leading climate action

1. Being agents of social change

Youth federation members are at the forefront of addressing climate change and climate-related risks in informal settlements.

Mathare, Kenya’s second-largest informal settlement, located along the Mathare River, is highly vulnerable to flooding. The river and its surroundings have become a dumping ground for waste. Residents and waste pickers discard plastics, sacks, food waste, and other debris, obstructing the river’s natural flow. Accumulated waste causes flooding during heavy rains and contaminates the water, increasing the community’s risk of diseases such as cholera, bilharzia, and typhoid, particularly during floods.

To tackle waste and its impacts, local youth are actively engaging in and promoting effective waste collection and management practices. They are spearheading initiatives like recycling, urban farming, and advocating for change through art, demonstrating their commitment to improving the settlement’s living conditions and fostering a more sustainable community.

2. Through innovation and entrepreneurship

Training youth in market-ready skills is critical for addressing growing youth unemployment in cities. In Zambia, the federation is equipping young people with building trade skills, such as plumbing and brickwork, using affordable technologies.

Ten young men and women were selected and trained in water and sanitation systems. A part of their training and certification, they successfully completed the plumbing at a federation housing site and then learned how to connect homes to the sewer system. Not only are youth gaining practical skills where they can earn an income, they are providing access to essential basic services to their communities.

Training youth in plumbing and bricklaying © PPHPZ Zambia

Another innovative example is the Down Town Youth Group’s work, which collects waste from 200 households to fuel a community oven, and bakes pastries and bread for sale and for local schools. The initiative is self sustaining, reduces local waste, and creates employment for 20 youths. Check out the video below, filmed by KYC TV youth, to see their impactful efforts in action.

With the majority of slum dwellers under 35, youth represent a vital force for driving urban transformation across the Global South. SDI federations recognise this potential by investing in young people to create more resilient, vibrant, and equitable urban spaces. These young leaders are not passively waiting for change but are actively shaping it. Through grassroots organising and innovative solutions, they are leading the charge in building resilient, inclusive, and climate-conscious urban environments, positioning themselves at the forefront of a movement to contribute to a better urban future.

Endnotes

1. Slum Dwellers International (SDI) network, is a global network of slum dwellers federations comprised of hundreds of saving groups networked at the settlement, city, and national levels that drive a collective, bottom-up change agenda for inclusive and resilient cities

About the Author 

Mara Forbes is an Urban Development Specialist with Cities Alliance. She has more than a decade of experience supporting and managing community-driven inclusive and resilient development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Many thanks to Sheridan Bartlett, for reviewing earlier versions of this blog.

The Ideas for Action Series showcases ideas for action, innovation, programmes, policies and practices that make public spaces child-friendly. Read more of our blogs here. 

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